Nighttime warming centers to open in Sacramento, Elk Grove

A warming center will be located in the Southside Pool House, 2107 Sixth St., Sacramento.
Map provided by city and county of Sacramento

With overnight temperatures expected to drop into the low 30s, the city and county of Sacramento announced plans to open a joint warming center at the Southside Pool House, 2107 Sixth St.

The center will be open from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday through Friday. People are invited to drop by to get out of the cold.

Center operations will be coordinated by the county Office of Emergency Services. The criteria for opening a warming center, according to the County/City Severe Weather Guide, are extreme cold/freeze warnings for three days accompanied by night temperatures of 32 degrees or lower. If temperatures begin to rise, the center will close.

The Southside Park Pool House has seating capacity for approximately 50 people. Snacks and chairs will be provided, but no beds will be available.

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If the center reaches capacity, backup facilities will be arranged. Staffing will be provided by the Office of Emergency Services, the Department of Human Assistance, City Parks and Recreation, and Medical Reserve Corps and Hands On volunteers. The Sacramento Police Department will provide security.

City Animal Services will supply 10 kennels for larger dogs, and small carriers for smaller animals. An area will be available for pets and animals belonging to people using the warming center.

The Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance also will make motel vouchers and bus passes available for homeless families and individuals needing to get out of the cold. They will be distributed through county social workers and the Police Department’s Impact Team. Vouchers were made available as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The city of Elk Grove and Cosumnes Community Services District also will open a warming center at the Barbara Morse Wackford Community and Aquatic Complex, 9014 Bruceville Road. It will be open from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday.

The need to keep the Elk Grove center open will be reassessed at 2 a.m. It may be closed for the evening if there are no occupants or any indication someone may be on the way, according to a news release. The facility can also accommodate pets. It will be staffed by the Community Services District, Community Emergency Response Team and Volunteers in Policing.